Cartridge-feed mechanism for firearms



J. W. SMITH.

CARTRIDGE FEED MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION vr'IIIin IAN. 26. I9Is.

1,303,407. Patented May13,1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET I.

Iw/ BWM J. W. SMITH. CARTRIDGE FEED MEcHAmsMroa nReAmvls. APPLICATION FILED lAN. 28| 1918A. 1,303,407. Patented May 13, 1919.

. A 5 SHEETS-*SHEET 2.

' ra @19m I 72 1. W. SMITH.

CARTRIDGE FEED MECHANISM FOR FIHEARNIS.

APPLICATION FILED IAN. 2e. 191e.

1,303,407. Patented May13,1919,

5 SHEETS-SHEET A3.. .5195:

75 7 Im-III."` 2

I. W. SMITH. CARTRIDGE Heen MEcHAmsM Fon rmfARMs.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 2B. I9I8.'

May 13, 1919.

5 SHEETS-SHEET 4:

Patented J. w. SMITH.

CARIRIDGE FEED MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS.

APPLICATION FILED JAN. 28. i918.

5 SHEETS-SHEETl 5-` 79 if@ f5.

Wineig: Inman for: n

.Jb/m uw minut/4 JOHN WILLIAM SMITH, OF SYBACUSE, NEW YORK.

CARTRIDGE-FEED MECHANISM FOR FIREARMS.

Specication o fLetters Patent. Patented May 13 1919 Application led January 28, 1918. Serial No. 214,048.

To all whom t may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN WILLIAM SMITH, a citizen of the United States, residing in Syracuse,- in the county of Onondaga and State of New York, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cartridge- Feed Mechanism for Firearms, of which the -1- following is a specification.

L This-invention relates to firearmsV in gen- "Aeral, land more particularly to means for `successively and expeditiously feeding a plurality of cartridgesinto iring position 1n a firearm.

- lOne vof the main objects of the present invention is to provide means whereby a plurality of clips of cartridges may be expedi- .tiouslyffed into a .firearm successively.

Another object of the invention is `to provide a cartridge magazine which may contain a plurality of clips .of cartridges and A.successively feed out the several cartridges of a clip into firing position, and when -a clip has been exhausted, advance a succeeding clip into position to khave the several cartridgesof such succeeding clip fed out into firing position.

Still another object of the invention is the provision of an attachment'that may conveniently and without any extensive reconstruction be equipped on any breechloading iirearm such as the Springfield" army riiie or the like, which attachment isx. adapted to contain a plurality of clips off cartridges and successively and expeditiously. feed into iiring. position the several cartridges of the several clips.

" One of the particular features of the present invention is the provision of means whereby a gun of the Springfield army type may be used, the lower plate of its magazine chamber removed, and the attachment forming the present invention substituted therefor, whereupon a succession lof clips may have their several cartridges fed transversely into firing position, and then ejected through. the bottom ofthe former magazine chamber.

Another feature is the provision of a magazine which contains a plurality of clips-of cartridges ositioned one above the other and which eeds in a transverse direction the several cartridges of a clip into firing position, and when a clip is exhausted, vertically advances a succeeding clip to dispose the cartridges' of such"`succeeding clip in posiion to be transversely fed into firing posiion.

Still another feature of the invention is the provlsion of an attachment for use on a irearm of the Springlield army type, in which the iioor plate ofthe magazine chamber of such Springfield firearm is replaced with a plate mem er made in accordance with the present invention, and a plurality of maga'zlnes may be carried on the person of the user, and when required be successively and expeditiously attached in position to feed out the several cartridges of a magazine. l

These and other features, capabilities, and advantages of the invention will appear from the subjoined detailed description of one specific embodiment thereof illustrated inthe accompanying drawings, in which-A 75 vFigure 1 is a plan view of the magazine of applicantsinvention; f-

Figs. 2 and 8 are sectional views on the line of Fig. 1, showing diagrammatically the severarpositions assumed by the several working parts of the magazine;

Fig. 4 is a plan view similar to Fig. 1,

showing the clip extractor in a diii'erent position; y

Fig. 5 is a, fragmental perspective showing a firearm equipped with the present improvement; Y

Fig. 6 is an elevation showing that side of the magazine which will rest against the firearm when in working position;

Figs. 7 and 8 show successive positions of the cartridge ejector forming a part of the present invention;

Fig. 9 is an end view-of the portion illustrated in Fig. l;

Fig. 10 is a fragmental perspective of a.

firearm showing the floor plate of the magazine removed to permit zthe substituted plate member to be attached;

Fig. 11 is a perspective detached view of the plate member to be substituted for the magazine iioor plate 'to be removed;

Fig. 12 is a fragmental side view showing the substituted plate member in place on 8. firearm;

'Fig. 13 is .an elevation of the magazine showing the outer side thereof when the magazine is in lace on a firearm;

i Fig. 14 is a flfagmental perspective showingjzhe magazine in place on the firearm;

ig. 15 is a fragmental perspective of a firearm with magazine attached.

In the illustration of Fig. there is shown a portion of the standard Springfield rifle, having the gun stock 13, to the lower side of which, and conforming to the opening of the magazineI chamber 14, is secured the flanged fixture with a latch 16 at o-ne end and a recess l17 at the other end, the latch 16 being adapted ordinarily to coperate wi-tl` the recessed portion 18 of the magazine Hoor` plate 19 while the recess 17 is adapted to coperate with the tongue 2() of the ioor plate19 to anchor such floor plate in position. l

ln the present embodiment, and forming an important feature lof the present invention, an arrangement is provided whereby gun stock 13. The portion 22 has a recessed portion 25 to coperate with the latch 16` and a tongue 26 .to coperate with the recess 17. To the lateral portion 24, the loading device proper or magazine 27 is secured by means of the plate projection 28, (Fig. 6), formed at one end of the device27, which has a recess 29 to receive the head 30 ofthe lever 31 fulcrumed on the pin 32 which is mounted in the bearings 33 disposed at one end of the lateral portion 24, and has its head 30 resiliently anchored against the lateral portion 24 and extending through an Opening formed in the guide plate 34 by means of the spring 35 coiled around the in 32. llhe lever 31 has the finger piece 36 or withdrawing the head 30 out of engagement. At the other end of the portion 24 is formed the stud. 37 centrally disposed between two arcuate tongues or fingers 38, which coperate with the arcuate slots 39 and the opening 40 centrally disposed between said slots 39.l The slots 39 are so disposed relative to the projection 28 that when the device 27 is turned into engagement with the fingers 38 of the portion 24, the guide plate 34 and the head 30 of the 'lever 31 will be in position to receive the rojection 28 as the slots 39 are brought ome. To further anchor the device 27 in place and assist in alining the same, there is provided the projection 41, (Figs. 6, 9, and 14), which coperates'with the upper edge of the lateral portion 24, and also the pro? jection 42, which coperates with the upper edge of the bolt guidemember 43 of the gun frame adjacent to the lateral portion 24.

The device 27 consists essentially of the inner side plate 44 'in which the slots 39 are formed. (Fig. 6), the outer side plate 45,

of cartridges has been exhausted, and on the plate 46 is operatively mounted the transversely acting lever mechanism 48 which operates to successively feed the cartridges into iring'position.

The platform 47 is uided in its travel by the guide-ways 49 an 50, it having its rear extension 54 pivotally connected to the plug' 51 traveling in the guide-way 49 and also pivotally connected to the block 52 traveling 1n the guide-way 50. By means of the guidew'ays 49 and 50, which have a different angle of travel, relative to one another, the platform 47 will have a very slight change of inclination as it moves in a vertical direc-V tion. The wall 53 to which the guide-way 49! is secured, constitutes the rear wall of the magazine chamber or compartment, While the plates 44 and 45 form the side walls, and the plate 46 the top wall of the magazine chamber A in which the platform 47 travels. y

At the upper end of the magazine chamber A formed by the aforesaid walls, there 1s provided a guide-way 55 to retain a cartridge clip 56 in which a series of cartridges 57 (Fig. 1) are secured,.es is usual in the practice. The upper portion of the guide way 55, as shown in Fig. 1, has an elongated ioo slot 58 open at one end to receive theV4 clip w 'extractor leg 59 hereinafter to be described. For retaining a clip or plurality of clips of cartridges in position on the platform 47. the side rails 60 and 61 are provided. The

upper rail 60 is fixed in position' while the lower rail 61, which is in substantial alinement with the upper rail 60, is resiliently mounted by the bracket 62, pivotally mount,- ed on the pin 63, (Fig. 6), around which is coiled the spring 64 which resiliently main-I tains the rail '61 in position to project into the compartment A. When it is desired to feed clips of cartridges into the compartment A, the platform 47 is dra-wn down l preferably below the level of the lower edge of the rail 61, whereupon the side rail 61 will be pressed out of the way and the clips of cartridges introduced through the passage thereby afforded, an-d pressed upwardlyso that the luppermost clip is located inthe guide-way 55. When the platform 47 is released the clips with cartridges will beresiliently retained upwardly against the upper plate 46 by means of the spring 65 which 1s mounted on the plunger 66. The plunger 66 is slidably mounted in the collar 6T at one end, and is pivotally connected at its other end to the upper short arm of the lever 68 fulcrumed at 69, and has a collar 70 `adjacent its connection with the lever 68 vbetween which collar 70 and the collar 67 the spring is tensioned. .The long arm of the lever 68 is provided with yan abutment 71, a roller in the resent instance, at its free end to enage t e extension 54 of the platform 47. y means of the aforesaid, it will be seen that the downward movement of the platform 47 will compress the spring 65 while the reaction of the spring 65 will tend kto raise the platform 47.

For locking the spring 65 against reaction when the latform 47 is moved to its lowermost position, the latch 72 is provided which is fulcrumed at 73 rand has its hook en d 74 adapted to engage the collar while its other end 75is adapted to coperate with the cam 76 on the clip lever mechanism 48, the spring 90 being provided to press the end 75 into raised position ready for engagement by the cam 76. When the clip lever 7 8 is moved away from the gun stock into position for feeding the cartridges into iiring position, the cam 76 will ride over the projection 7 5., thereby rocking the hook end 74 out of engagement with the collar 70 to release the spring 66.

The clip lever mechanism 48 has three essential functions to perform, one, as aforesaid, to release the spring l65; another to remove the clip from the row of cartridges which is ready to be fed into the firing position; and stillanother to transversely move the cartridges into firing position. This clip lever mechanism 48 is composed mainly of two lever arms 77 and 78 which are pivotally connected at one end to the plate 46, the pivotal connection of the lever 77 being disposed nearer to the guide-way 55 than vthe. pivotal connection of the leverv 78, while at their other ends the lever arms 77 and 78 A are both pivotally connected tothe finger piece 79 to which the clip extractorl leg 59 is connected, being resiliently .anchored against fthe pin 80 by the Aspring 81,'the leg 59 as already set forth, projecting down from' the guide-way 58 to engage a clip. The clip mechanism is normally resiliently locked adjacent the gun frame by means of the spring 82, tensioned between the housings 83 and84, mounted on the lever arms 77 and 78 respectively, the spring being compressed out of normal when the lever mechanism 48 is swung away from the gun trame due to the location of the pivotal connections of the lever arms 77 and 78 and in seeking its normal condition, swinging the levers back to the gun frame. To the lower side of the finger piece 79 is secured the bracket 85 on which the fingers 86 and 87 are resiliently mounted. The fingers 86 and 87 are resiliently strained to retain their susto securely grasp a cartridge vand move, it

toward firing* position. In other words, when the lever mechanism 48 is in normal position adjacent the gun frame, the 'clips of cartridges may be fed. into the magazine chamber A, at which time the spring 65 will be locked by the latch 72 and when the magazine chamber is filled the lever mechanism 48 will first be swung away from the gun frame at the same time actuating the projection 75 to release the spring 65, and also bringing its clip extractor leg 59 into engagement with lthe uppermost clip vlso that on the movement of the lever mechanism 48 away from the gun frame the clip will be removed, the ngers 86 and 87 riding over the top row of cartridges until they clear the cartridges when the lingers will be strained into suspended position and engage the cartridge farthest removed from the gun frame, and due to the action of the spring` 82, strain such upper row of cartridges to move toward the gun stock and permit them l pending other actions, to be successively fed -48 being adjacent the gun frame, will aga-in be in position to remove the clip of such succeeding row of cartridges, and upon clearing the last cartridge, be'again in position to feed such succeeding' row of cartridges into firing position.

The cartridge extractor forms another important feature of applicants invention. In the gun frame 13, the breech bolt 91 is slidably mounted, having the extractor 92 secured to the side thereof which, in the usual way, engages the groove 93 of a cartridge, (Figs. 7 and 8), when the breech-bolt is driven home ready for firing the cartridge. With the present` invention, the cartridges are successively fed from the magazine into engagement with the breech-bolt to be grasped thereby and driven into firing position. For properly guiding eachA cartridge as it leaves the'magazine roper, the fingers 86and 87 press the cartri ge, if itis the last one, into position to be engaged by the breech-bolt, whereupon the shoulder 94 which has previously been anchored against forward movement b y the shoulder 95 of the cam plate 96, secured to the lower side of the plate 46, is then pressed forward so that the head of the cartridge will engage the cam surface 97 by which itis cammed to` point into the barrel of the gun, and in the forward further movement of the breechbolt it is driven right home into firing position. While -the cartridges of the last succeeding row are being moved transversely by the lingers 86 and 87, that is until they reach the next to final position, before belng advanced to firing position, the cartridges will be anchored against forward movement by the engagement of their grooves 93 with the rail 106 formed on the guide-way 55. When there is one or more cartridges still left in the magazine, of the particular row being fed out, the next succeeding cartridge will have a tendency, due to surface friction of the forwardly moving cartridge, to move therewith. To `anchor such next succeeding cartridge against forward movement with the cartridge being advanced to firing position, the shoulder 95 will, as aforesaid, en-

gage the shoulder 94 of said next succeeding j cartridge to prevent such forward movement.

To further assist in guiding the cartridge being advanced to firing position, the ejector fingers 98 and 99, will be engaged by such cartridge. When a cartridge has been fired and is Withdrawn by the breech-bolt 91, the extractor 92 having engaged the groove 93 of such cartridge, andpassed the finger 98, it will receive an initial downward impulse by such finger 98, such finger bein resiliently maintained in suspended position by the spring 100, and then upon the further rearward movement of such cartridge, the finger 99 of the ejector will be actuated as shown in Figs. 7 and 8 by the instrumentality of the projection 101 engagin the groove 102 of the breech bolt 91. Adjacent the projection l101, the finger 99 is provided with a recess 103 to permit clearance of the finger 99 around the rim 104 of the breech-bolt 91, the action being similar to a gear action in that the bolt 91 in its rearward traverse, -will on its engagement with the finger 101, tend to rock the ejector about its pivotal connection, The engagement of the finger 100 with the bolt 91 will be so anchored that considerable force may be exercised by the finger 99 when e'ngaging the cartridge just fired, which, augmented by the quick rearward movement of the bolt 91, will-very effectively kick the cartridge down to eject the same through the chamber below the breech-bolt and permit the cartridge to discharge through the discharge passage 23. To further assist the finger 99 in its ejecting action, and also to resiliently maintain the finger 99 in suspended position, the spring 105 is provided.

It is obvious that various changes and modifications may be made in the details of construction Without departing from the general spirit of the invention. Y

-I claim: r,

1. The combination with a firearm having a breech-bolt, of a cartridge-loading device having means for vertically advancing a plu-A rality of clips of cartridges, and means for transversely feeding thev cartridges of the upper clip into engagement with the breechbolt.

2. The combination with a firearm having a breech-bolt, of avcartridge-loading device having means for upwardly advancing a plucartridge actuating device having means forV transversely feeding* a horizontally disposed clip of cartridges into engagement with the breech-bolt, and means mounted above the pathv of movement of said breech bolt and coperating therewith to eject the fired cartridge from engagement with such breechbolt downwardly through said removed bottom.

5. The combination, with a firearm having a` breech-bolt, of a cartridge actuating device having means for upwardly advancing a succession of clips of cartridges, means for thereupon transversely and severally feeding such-cartridges' into engagement with the breech-bolt, and means for thereupon ejecting in a vertical direction the cartridges from engagement with said breech-bolt.

6. The combination with a firearm having a breech-bolt, ofva cartridge actuating device having means for upwardly feeding a plurality of clips of cartridges, means for thereupon transversely feeding the` uppermost cartridges into engagement with the breechbolt, and means for thereupon ejecting the cartridges from engagement with the breechbolt in a downward direction.

7. The combination with a firearm having a breech-bolt, of a cartridge .actuating device having means forI upwardly advancing a plurality of lhorizontally disposed clips of cartridges, means for successively feeding the uppermost row of cartridges in a transverse direction into engagement with the breech-bolt, and means for ejecting the carthe breech-bolt in a vertically downward direction.

8. The combination with a firearm having a breech-bolt, of a cartridge actuating device having means for vertically advancing a plurality of horizontally disposed clips of cartridges, means for removin the clip of the uppermost cartridges, and means for vthereupon feeding in a transverse direction the uppermost cartridges into engagement with the breech-bolt` 9. The combination with a firearm having a breech-bolt, of a cartridge actuating device having means for upwardly advancing a plurality of rows of cartridges, each row of cartridges being secured together by a clip,

means for removing the clip of the uppermost row of cartridges, and means for thereupon feeding the uppermost row of' cartridges in a transverse direction into engagement with the breech-bolt.

10. The combination with a firearm hav-.l

ing a breech-bolt, a chamber .disposed beneath such breech-bolt, there being an opening at the bottom of such chamber, of a cartridge actuating device to be attached to the side of said firearm and having means for vertically feeding a plurality of clips of cartridges and then successively feedingthe cartridgesof each clip into engagement with the breech-bolt, andk means for ejecting the cartridges from engagement with the breechbolt, after firing, 'downwardly through the chamber.

11. The combination with a firearm having a breech-bolt and having a chamber disposed beneath such breech-bolt having the bottom thereof removed, of a cartridge actuating device attached to the side of said firearm and having means for transversely -feeding a clip of cartridges into engagementwith the breech-bolt, and means mounted above the .path of movement of said breech bolt and coperating therewith to eject the cartridges from engagement with the breechbolt after firing, said ejecting being in a downward direction through the removed bottom of said chamber.

12. The combination, with a firearm having a breech-bolt and an extractor attached to the side thereof and having a chamber with the bottom thereof removed, of a cartridge actuating device having means vfor transversely feeding a clip ofl cartridges into engagement with said breech-bolt, and ejecting means disposed above the path of movement of said breech bolt for engaging a cartridge, after being withdrawn by the breech-bolt upon firing, to discharge the fired cartridge in a downward direction through said removed bottom.

1'3. The combination with a firearm hav- -ing a breech-bolt, an extractor attached to `posed, adjacent to the. cartridge-engaging end of the breech-bolt, of a device mounted above the path of movement of said breechbolt and coperating with said groove for ejecting a cartridge after being withdrawn by the breech-bolt in a vdownward direction.

14. The combination with a firearm. having a breech-bolt, an extractor attached to the side thereof, there being a groove disposed adjacent to the cartridge-engaging end of the breech-bolt, of a device for ejecting a cartridge after being withdrawn. by'

the breech-bolt, said ejecting device having a finger pivotally'mounted above the path vof movement of the breech-bolt, and a projection onsaid finger. to engage the groove in said breech-bolt when the breech-bolt is withdrawn whereby the finger is rocked into engagement with the cartridge to eject the .same in a downward direction.

15. The combination with a firearm having a breech-bolt, an extractor, anda groove disposed adjacent to the cartridge-engaging end of the breech-bolt, of a cartridge ejector comprising a finger pivotally mountedv above the path of movement of said breech-bolt, a projection on said finger to engage the groove in said breech-bolt, a recess adjacent to said projection to permit the rocking of said finger about the cartridge-engaging end of the breech-bolt' when the projection is engaged by the groove thereof so that the finger will. engage the cartridge and force the same in a downward direction out of engagement with the breech-bolt.

16. The combination with a rearm, of a cartridge actuating device having means for supporting a row of cartridges secured to a clip, a lever having a clip extractor for removing the clip from said row of cartridges. and fingers on said lever for transversely actuating the thereupon liberated cartridges Y supporting a row of cartridges secured by,

a clip, -a lever, means for resiliently maintainlng sald lever adjacent to said firearm..

a clip extractor on said leverv for removing' a clip when said lever is actuated away fromsaid firearm, and means on said. lever for" engaging the thereuponliberated cartridges. to actuate the same in a transverse Adirection into said firearm.

18. The combination with a firearm, of a cartridge actuating device comprising a come partment, a platform mounted to-traverse in a vertical direction in said compartment and being adapted to receive a plurality of horizontally disposed rows of cartridges thereon, means for actuating said platform in a vertical direction thereby to move the cartridges disposed thereon with it, and means for thereupon moving the cartridges in a transverse direction into said firearm.

19. The combination with a firearm, of a cartridge actuating device having a com-y partment, a platform operatively mounted in said compartment and adapted to support a plurality of horizontally disposedrows ofv cartridges each secured by -a clip, means for actuating'said i latform in an upward direction, means or removing the clip from the uppermost row of cartridges, and lmeans for actuating the uppermost liberated row .of cartridges successively and transversely into said rearm.

VA20. The combination with a rearm, of a cartridge actuating device havingI a cornpartment, a platform operatively mounted in said compartment and adapted to support a plurality of horizontally disposed rows of cartridges each secured by a clip, means for actuating said platform in an upward direction, means for anchoring said platform in its lowermost position to facilitate insertion of the rows of cartridges, a lever, means for actuating said lever in a transverse direction toward said firearm and for normally maintaining it adjacent to said lirearm, means on said lever for removin clip from the uppermost roW of cartrldges when said lever-is actuated away from said firearm, means on said lever for releasing the platform 'anchoring means' when said lever is so actuated away from kthe firearm, and means on said lever for engaging the uppermost liberated row of cartridges toV carry the same with it in a transverse di rection into said firearm.

JOHN WILLIAM SMITH.

Vitnesses: f

CH'As. E. WHITEMAN, HAROLD D. PENNEY.

the 

